Finding Margaret Mary Dignan

Roscommon

Hi. I'm in Melbourne, Australia, researching my great great grandmother. I am trying to discover the backstory of why Margaret Mary (Dignan, Dignum, Duignan), as a young woman of 19yo, would travel unaccompanied to the Port Phillip Colony in 1841.

I'd at least love to know specifically where she lived and who her familiy was.

What I do know (mainly from second hand sources):

Born 1823 in Moore's Cross Roads, Roscommon. ( I assume this is in Moore Parish, but puzzled by the Cross Roads reference)
Emigrated 1841 on the ship 'England' from Liverpool (The ship's passenger list identifies 'Mary Dignan' rather than Margaret)
Married Jeremiah Finn in 1843 in Melbourne (Jeremiah was on the same ship) (Melbourne was only 8 years old as a white settlement at the time)
Died 1895 in Wagga NSW, having produced a large and bourgeoning family, keeping pubs with Jeremiah.

She must have been a brave, adventurous and/desperate woman.

Thanks for any help

Gary Shadforth

gary_2

2 years ago

4 replies

Gary,

Info found on Ancestry

Name	Margaret Finn
Death Date	1895
Death Place	Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Registration Date	1895
Registration Place	Wagga Wagga, Australia
Father	Richard
Mother	Margaret
Registration Number	14556

Regards- Mary

mtvrdk@gmail.com

2 years ago

Gary,

Original passenger list confirms she is from Roscommon.

Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923

Name	Mary Dignam
Nationality	Irish
Arrival Age	20
Birth Date	abt 1821
Departure Place	Liverpool
Arrival Date	17 Jul 1841
Arrival Place	Port Phillip Bay, Australia
Religion	Roman Catholic
Ship	England

Mary

mtvrdk@gmail.com

2 years ago

Gary,

There is a Griffith's Valuation record (1855) for a Margaret Dignam in the town land of Dooghan, Drum, Roscommon. Dooghan is on the border of the RC parishes of Moore and Athlone:St. Peter's. If you look at a map of the two parishes on the site johngrenham.com, you will see that the town land is divided almost equally between these two parishes. I could not find any town land known as Cross Roads, but maybe that division has something to do with the Cross Roads reference. I really don't know...just my thought. There is a second person in Griffith's in Dooghan named Timothy Dignam. If they named one of their children Timothy, that could possibly be another clue....using a name that is in the family.

Regards,

P.S. Do you reside in Wagga Wagga? I have a dear friend who was raised there.

Carolyn

2 years ago

Thnaks Mary and Carolyn. That's great.

Margaret wouldn't have been in Dooghan in 1855 as she had already emigrated, though it would seem her mother's name was Margaret, so there might be that connection. The Timothy reference might be a promising lead also.

I'm not in Wagga Wagga, Carolyn. I'm in Melbourne, but certainly Margaret and Jeremiah were long term publicans there.

gary_2

2 years ago

Finding Margaret Mary Dignan

4 replies

Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839-1923

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